Manhattan art dealer Sera James watched her world crumble at the altar two years ago, and her heart is still fragile. Her desire for distraction reignites a passion for a mysterious portrait she first saw as a young girl---a painting of a young violinist with piercing blue eyes.
In her search for the painting, Sera crosses paths with William Hanover, the grandson of a wealthy California real estate mogul, who may be the key to uncovering the hidden masterpiece. Together, Sera and William slowly unravel the story behind the painting's subject: Austrian violinist Adele Von Bron.
A darling of the Austrian aristocracy, talented violinist, and daughter to a high-ranking member of the Third Reich, Adele risks everything when she begins smuggling Jews out of Vienna. In a heartbeat, her life of prosperity and privilege dissolves into a world of starvation and barbed wire.
As Sera untangles the secrets behind the painting, she finds beauty in the most unlikely of places: in the grim camps of Auschwitz and in the inner recesses of her own troubled heart.
My thoughts: This story from the horrific pages of World War II is set in Austria and encompasses the lives of Austrian non-Jews capturing the intensity of life and its fragility during that sad period in the world’s history. A beautiful and masterfully talented violinist, young Adele is the child of a high ranking Austrian officer in the Third Reich. Her powerful father and Führer loving mother have no patience with anything or anyone who does not follow the German Führer’s mandates.
This new author has written a captivating story that fully embraces the of beauty of spirit of those who are downtrodden and imprisoned revealing the horror that is their daily life.
The life of Adele in the German prison camp is cold, hard, and emotionally charged. I was not aware that musicians were used in the camp to play marches and other pieces as prisoners were unloaded from trains and separated into groups for work or death. They played as prisoners marched to their daily work details. They played as prisoners were marched to be executed. The emotional toll on the musicians was tremendous as they watched mothers and children, young, old, frail being sent to their deaths as they, the musicians, played.
The book is actually two stories and two time periods intertwined. In both stories the plan of God is being worked out in His perfection.
A beautifully written book.
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DISCLOSURE: I was provided a complimentary copy of The Butterfly and the Violin by Litfuse Publicity Group on behalf of Thomas Nelson Publishing and the author. No compensation was received for this review and I was under no obligation to write a positive review.
I too, can relate to this story, my mom, although German, not Jewish, was also in a prison camp and experienced these trials. I am very interested in this book. Have been to Auschwitz and it was truly a sobering experience.
ReplyDeleteI've read many books about WWII and the holocaust. One that made a huge impression on me as a young woman was Exodus by Leon Uris.
ReplyDeleteI do not know much about it beyond what is commonly known via school textbooks. I do wish that the fact that the US put people in camps on our soil would be addressed more.
ReplyDeleteI only know what I read about them many years ago in high school and reading The Diaries Of Anne Frank. I am afraid I have badly neglected to learn more.
ReplyDeleteIt is horrible to contemplate that the human race could be so inhuman.
I am amazed that a few people were able to escape the horrific conditions of the concentration camps.
ReplyDeleteamyc
This was such a dark time in history, so much suffering.
ReplyDeleteI find the concentration camps one of the saddest times in history, and one of the hardest to understand! I can't imagine how so many were willing to go along. So very sad!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a really powerful novel! Thanks for sharing this at Booknificent Thursday! Hope to see you again this week!
ReplyDeleteTina
I enjoy learning new things about that time period so that the sacrifices of so many won't be forgotten.
ReplyDeleteThe story of Anne Frank touched me greatly when I was young. Such a sad time of history.
ReplyDeleteCorrie ten Boom and the stories of her family helping others touched my heart.
ReplyDeleteHi Vera. I remember the WW ll. My brother, 2 brother- in Laws, cousins, and many family friends fought in this war. two friends never returned home. We moved from the sm Texas town where we lived to Houston, Texas so my dad could help by working in the shipyards. Back then even the women did what they could help. And, that was during the time of the Hollocaust. I also rave read The Hiding Place by Corri ten Boom, a very good christian that just missed the gas chamber with her release the day before. Tho she lost most of her family there. Spent the rest of her life being a soldier for the LORD. I reccommend this book to everyone. Maxie > mac262(at)me(dot)com
ReplyDeleteOver the years, I've read many book about the extermination camps of WWII. I have always been a fan of Anne Frank and Corrie Ten Bloom and others who acted courageously in the face of evil. I've toured the Anne Frank house in Amsterdam twice, and toured a concentration camp when we visited Germany. I cried all through the tour.
ReplyDeleteNancy
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